What makes it special?
At Rs. 24,990, its perhaps the most affordable phone with a modern OS and a proper QWERTY keyboard. The only alternatives in the price range are the older BlackBerry devices.

How well does it work?The combination of QWERTY keyboard and touchscreen can be a bit confusing, as you have to keep switching between the two. Call quality is excellent and battery life very good – comfortably goes beyond a day of hefty use with mail and social networks running.

What’s not so great about it?Multimedia and apps are its weak points in our opinion. The 5.0-megapixel camera is not the greatest, sound is a bit tinny and BlackBerry still does not have the kind of apps that Android and iOS do.

Should you buy it?If you love typing and have a budget below Rs. 25,000, yes. It does mail, messaging (IM, WhatsApp and of course, good old BBM) very well.

Traveller’s quotient:The Q5 is built on solid rather than spectacular lines and is superb for messaging, but its poor camera could deter impulse snappers. We also think it is a bit expensive at this price.

Also consider:The LG Nexus 4, the official Google phone which also costs Rs. 24,990 and has a better camera and more apps, but suffers in terms of battery life.

Price: Rs 24,990

[This article was published in the August 15, 2013 edition of the Kunzum Magazine. Click here to download the same for free. And subscribe to the magazine so you don’t miss any issue. Links to previous issues also available here.]

One Comment

I have not used BB in my life, but I had once used a Micormax QWERTY keyboard phone. (I replaced it after a week, as micromax is nothing but a cheap Chinese product). I have used Nokia basic phones and Samsung touch screen smart phones extensively.

In my opinion, (and as per the details given by you), most of the Samsung smart phones are better than BB. Also, regular keypad is better than qwerty keys, as it is difficult to type using those small keys. Any touch screen with a Skype typing is far better than a qwerty keypad.